The Board

Lou Ann Kibbee (she/her/hers) is employed by Southeast KS Independent Living (SKIL) Resource Center as the Systems Advocacy Manager. Lou Ann has been involved with the disability rights movement since 1977 and the independent living movement since 1984. She has served on many Boards of not-for-profit organizations, as well as local, State, and National committees focused on disability related issues. She is currently the Board Chair of the Kansas Disability Caucus, Inc. after serving on the Caucus Committee since 2002. She served 20 years on the Board of Directors for the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) based in DC, including President for four years. Lou Ann was appointed in July 2021 to complete the term of NCIL Vice President. She has served two terms as the Chair of the Statewide Independent Living Council of Kansas. Lou Ann not only advocates for the rights of people with disabilities to live independently as they choose, but has lived it for 45 years. Lou Ann lives with her husband in western Kansas where they enjoy their favorite past time riding their Harley’s.

Carrie Greenwood (she/her/hers) has a passion for promoting empowerment and leadership for ALL people, especially youth and women with disabilities. She expresses her passion through her work and volunteer activities. Carrie currently works for the Kansas Youth Empowerment Academy (KYEA) in Topeka, KS, which is a non-profit organization that works to educate, mentor, and support youth with disabilities in Kansas. She has served as the Program Coordinator for the past twelve years and previously served as the Outreach Coordinator for four years prior to that. Carrie also serves as the President/CEO of Ms. Wheelchair Kansas, Inc. and is the treasurer for Ms. Wheelchair America, Inc. She currently serves as the Chairperson of the Association of Youth Leadership Forums (AYLF). Carrie has been a part of helping to plan Disability Caucuses in Kansas since 2005. Carrie holds an Associate of Applied Science degree in Design Technology from Washburn University. She is also a graduate of the Kansas Youth Leadership Forum, served as Ms. Wheelchair Kansas 2004, received the YWCA of Topeka Women of Excellence Award in 2008, and was one of Topeka’s 2013 20 Under 40 Honorees. In her free time, Carrie enjoys listening to music, volunteering at her church, reading a good fiction book, shopping, and spending time with friends and family.

Noelle Kurth (she/her/hers) is a Research Associate at the University of Kansas Institute for Health & Disability Policy Studies, Life Span Institute. Her work in the disability field for over 20 years has included state and federally-funded research projects on improving health, employment, and post-secondary education outcomes for people with disabilities. She has extensive experience conducting survey research, including survey design and multi-modal administration, data collection, management, and analyses. Further, in recent years she has worked to establish strong working relationships with staff in government, community and university agencies to develop increased capacity for data sharing and outcomes analyses. Years of serving as a caregiver and medical decision-maker for relatives with Huntington’s Disease (HD) gives her much personal experience with the myriad of disabling factors associated with HD and strengthens her commitment to the disability field. Her commitment to people with disabilities has taken her to Tanzania, East Africa to volunteer time working in remote, rural villages to help improve access to much needed healthcare services and education for people with disabilities, including HIV/AIDS. Noelle has served as the Treasurer for the Kansas Disability Caucus since 2017.

Macy Collins (she/her/hers) has been an Independent Living Specialist for the Resource Center for Independent Living since 2009. She is the chair of the Statewide Independent Living Plan Housing Workgroup and Employment First of Butler County. She is also part of the South-Central Employment First Summit planning committee. From 2009-2017, Macy was Vice-President of Butler Homeless Initiative and helped open the Emergency Shelter in El Dorado, KS. Macy was elected to the Kansas Disability Caucus Board in 2021.

Adam Burnett (he/him/his) joined the Kansas Disability Caucus Board in 2021. He is a graduate of the University of Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in Meteorology. It was at KU he was introduced to the Independent Living movement while working at the Research and Training Center on Independent Living as a NIDRR Scholar. Adam joined the Resource Center for Independent Living as a Peer Specialist in 2003 and is currently the Director of Core Services. He enjoys being involved in his community and presently serves as the President of the Osage City Chamber of Commerce and as a youth group leader at St. Patrick’s church. His previous public service experience includes serving as Mayor of his hometown prior to moving to Osage City.  Adam is a self-diagnosed “lawn nerd” who enjoys mowing, traveling, and playing the Paralympic sport of Boccia.

Kim Dietrich (she/her/hers) is from Netawaka, Kansas, which is a small town 40 miles north of Topeka. After graduating from high school, she attended college at Emporia State University, where she completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees. Kim has worked at Topeka Independent Living Resource Center since 1994 as an Independent Living Advocate assisting people with disabilities to achieve all types of goals, including moving out of nursing facilities into their own home. She is also a member of the Topeka ADA Advisory Council. Kim joined the Kansas Disability Caucus Board in January 2022.

Jacqueline Dyke (she/her/hers) is 34 years old. She comes from a big family with 10 brothers and 2 sisters and is adopted. Jacie works for Loves Travel Stop and has been working there for 6 years. She lives in a small town. Jacie is a strong advocate for those who cannot speak for themselves. She served on a local community council as the chairperson. She currently serves on the Medical Care Advisory Committee.

Anthony Frischenmeyer (he/him/his) is an Employment Specialist with Prairie Independent Living Resource Center in Hutchinson, KS. Anthony enjoys being a member of his city Human Relations Commission where he is the Chair. Anthony enjoys working with all youth to help them learn that they can do anything they set their minds too. Anthony has an amazing fiancé named Gabby with whom he shares two amazing kids who are 18 and 15. He also enjoys doing art and reading, as well as getting in to “good trouble” through the multiple causes he advocates for. Anthony joined the Kansas Disability Caucus Board in 2021.

Kelsey Goddard, Ph.D., (she/her/hers) is a research associate at the Research and Training Center on Independent Living (RTC/IL) and the Institute for Health and Disability Policy Studies (IHDPS) at the University of Kansas. Kelsey identifies as a person with a disability and strives to bring awareness to disability concerns through the intersection of research, policy, and advocacy. Kelsey is a strong advocate of the guiding principle “Nothing about us without us,” and she is particularly passionate about best-practice approaches to support and empower people with disabilities as researchers, advocates, and leaders. To disseminate research findings, Kelsey has presented research findings to the U.S. Access Board in Washington, DC, and served as a committee member on the Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns in Topeka, Kansas.

Michael Nava (he/him/his) attended the University of Kansas, Kansas City, and achieved a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering and Environmental Safety Studies and Minor in Business Administration. He was born and raised in Kansas City, KS and is Hispanic and Native American (Navajo). In 2013, he developed kidney failure and started dialysis and became legally blind in 2015. From the beginning, it was a struggle in dealing with his disability because of limited resources in the area. After receiving rehabilitation training, he soon started to advocate in improving the conditions and resources for people with disabilities in the Kansas City area. For over 30 years, he’s been involved with several Latino and Tribal groups, locally and in Oklahoma and North Dakota where he has been an activist and advocated for equal rights, work and living conditions of Native Americans and people with disabilities.

Michael remains active in his community. Recently, he was accepted and appointed to the Statewide Independent Living Council of Kansas (SILCK) board. He also serves on The Whole Person, Inc. (center for independent living) board and the Kansas Disability Caucus board. He is still passionate about helping improve the lives of others through individual health reform, healthcare policy advocacy, and increasing public awareness of dynamic issues impacting people with disabilities.

Daniel Perez is a deaf person that works for Southeast Kansas Independent Living Resource Center in Parsons Kansas since 2022, as Outreach Coordinator. Originally from El Salvador, Daniel worked as volunteer arts, science and robotics teacher for schools in his born country and as volunteer muralist renovating public spaces. Moved to US in 2021. He is also a freelance artist and he is doing his apprenticeship to become a Tattoo Artist at Neosho Missouri. Daniel helped SKIL with his artworks and he is responsible of the new face of the main building in Parsons, he also made the new SKIL’s logo and he is using his artwork to make awareness about disabilities. During his time off Daniel enjoys making Arts and spending time with his dogs at the outdoors.

Angie Saenger (she/her/hers) joined Independent Connection in 2021 as the Executive Director. Angie oversees operations of ICI, works to increase funding and partnerships, and collaborates with the ICI Board of Directors. Her career spans 17 years in early childhood system building and non-profit administration. She has a strong background in human resources. Angie holds a bachelor’s degree from Emporia State University in Business Management. She has called the Salina area home for many years.